Stage 2 Safety Audit - why is LBE risking our residents?

The Stage Two Safety Audit of the A105 (Green Lanes) cycle lanes was finally published on 7th June. This detailed safety audit should have been undertaken prior to the start of the construction, ie before September 2016.

Why didn't this happen?

These reports were delivered to the London Borough of Enfield in December 2016 and January 2017, for comments to be added by the designer and the LBE project team - whether they accept the risk, if so, what they propose to do about it. Why has it taken six months for these to be made public?

Could it be because the designers Jacobs (a division of Ringwood Jacobs construction contractors) and London Borough of Enfield have ignored the majority of recommendations the risk assessors made?

The Safety Audit runs into hundreds of pages and is presented in fourteen sections. Scroll down for links to the individual reports so that you can see the risks identified by TfL in the sectins of the road that are most relevant to you.

Many of the problems are common to each section. Here are some of the most urgent problems highlighted in the report.

(NOTE: Design organisation is Jacobs; Client organisation is LBE).

In many instanes the designer and LBE have REJECTED the safety hazards identified by TfL; or else have indicated that the 'problem' will be monitored.

For how long is not specified. Until there is a serious accident?

The use of 'Orcas' as a segregation measure may lead to trips / falls for cyclists and pedestrians

The proposals include 'Orcas' as a semi / soft segregation measure alongside the cycle track. The Audit Team are concerned that the 'Orcas' may not be adequately visible to road users, particularly pedestrians, cyclists and powered-two-wheelers. Pedestrians crossing the carriageway may fail to appreciate the raised nature of the 'Orcas', with a potential for trips and falls within the carriageway. Riders of two wheeled vehicles may fail to appreciate that the 'Orcas' are raised, particularly in inclement weather. Riders may become destabilised as they over-run the features, leading to an increased potential to become unseated, with a resultant potential for personal injury. The potential for injury is exacerbated as the features are situated in positions where they are encouraged to be traversed, such as outside residential accesses.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that any potential trip hazards are removed, this may require the use of an alternative type of segregation measure.

There have been scores of people reporting they have tripped over or witnessed other people tripping over the plastic orcas and the concrete cycle lane dividers. The council has taken out four orcas opposite Sainsbury's but there are dozens more already installed along the completed sections of the cycle lane.

Bus passengers boarding or alighting may result in collisions with cyclists on the track

Visually impaired pedestrians, particularly those alighting from a bus may follow the kerb line and inadvertently enter the carriageway. Visually impaired pedestrian unknowingly within the carriageway are at an increased potential for collisions with motorists.

In addition, bus passengers alighting may not anticipate or be able to see approaching cyclists immediately adjacent to the bus, which may result in cycle to pedestrian type collisions.

This may result in cyclists diverting away from the cycle track whilst their path is obscured, which may result in increased collisions with pedestrians or vehicles who may not expect cyclists diverting from the track.

The Audit Team are concerned that proposed cycle tracks run immediately adjacent to proposed bus stop boarders. Therefore bus passengers would board / alight a bus from / onto the cycle tracks.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the layout of the bus stop boarders / cycle tracks are altered to mitigate the potential interactions with bus passengers. This may include, but is not limited to, providing tramline tactile paving prior to the ramps down to carriageway level and an increased separation between the boarding / alighting area and the cycle track.

General – various footway level sections of cycle track. Potential lack of delineation may lead to collisions with visually impaired pedestrians

The Audit Team are concerned that the proposed measures do not appear to indicate a delineator between the footway and cycle tracks provided at footway level. This could lead to visually impaired pedestrians inadvertently entering these sections of cycle lanes or potentially entering the carriageway via the ramp between the two facilities.

Cyclists on the cycle track or motorists on the carriageway are unlikely to anticipate a visually impaired pedestrian and this may therefore result in increased collisions between these users.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that as well as a good visual differentiation between the footway and cycle tracks, a detectable delineator should be provided to ensure that all users are aware of the edge of footway.

Design Organisation Response: Accepted / Part Accepted / Rejected

Client Organisation Comments: Designer's response accepted

Here are the individual sections of the report for you to check out the section of the A105 that is most relevant to you.

Meanwhile people continue to drip over the cycle lane boarders; drivers are hitting them, as well as the 'wands' and bus boarders. Crossings have been removed making it more dangerous to cross Green Lanes, Ridge Avenue, Village Road and London Road.

If you spot any incidents or accidents which you believe are a result of the cycle lanes it is important that you report them.

Please take photos if it is safe to do so, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.